Product Review: Cycle Cuffs

For those of us who don’t live in SoCal or other similarly moderate climates, riding in longer pants is somewhat inevitable. If we want to keep those pants clean and not tangled in the chain, there are a couple options. One is a chain guard – and if you’ve got one you pretty much can skip this article! However, those don’t come on most bikes made in the U.S. so most of us make do with rubber bands or the slightly-more-advanced reflective velcro bands found in many bike shops. The problem is that while those keep your pants cuff out from getting caught in the chain, they generally don’t keep your pants leg clean. What to do? Well, the guys at Cycle Cuffs think they’ve got a solution to that problem for you!

The Cycle Cuffs generally come in pairs (though you can order a single if you really want). There are now several options available in terms of color (I reviewed the “future classic,” which is a basic black ripstop polyester fabric). They all come with velcro attachment, reflective stripes at top and bottom, and a large ring in the middle. The ring is so that they can be threaded onto a lock (U-lock or cable) and they stay with the bike. I was initially skeptical of this feature (and wasn’t sure about the styling), but ended up routinely locking the Cycle Cuffs up with my bike as that was the best way to not accidentally leave them at my desk!

So how did these do on the bike? Very well actually! They were easy to attach (loosely, so they don’t crease pant legs), stayed on without a problem, and kept my pants legs grease-free and crease-free. Over the past couple months they’ve become part of my normal bike-to-work gear, and overall I highly recommend them to keep your pants cuffs/legs clean and out of the way of the chain. Yes, they’re a bit more expensive than a basic reflective strap (and run about the same per cuff as the Leg Shield I tested earlier this year), but I think they’re more effective than either, and I plan to continue using mine until they wear out (unlikely to be soon, they seem quite tough!).

Will the Cycle Cuffs revolutionize your cycling experience? Probably not… but they don’t need to, because what they’re meant to do they do really darn well, and sometimes it’s the little things that can make the difference.

Yep, reflective stripes! They work pretty well too – doesn’t take much light to make them shine.

I also thought the eyelets were extremely odd at first – but as I mentioned I have ended up using them every day as I slip the Cycle Cuffs (and my helmet strap) onto my lock.

I will note that a couple of times I thought something was wrong with my bike due to an unidentified noise… turned out to be the eyelets slapping the chainring/crank as I pedaled! A quick rotation of the cuff fixed that.

Silly me, I’ve just been using a cut down strap and buckle off an old helmet to secure my pant leg. It might not be reflective, but you can’t beat the price or the greenie vibe. It also hides under my pant leg like a ankle bracelet when not in use.

I was unhappy when I saw Elizabeth’s comment that the pink ones are $10 more, then discovered any color option other than basic black is $10 more–whew.

I’ve thought of creating a homemade equivalent by using cut-off pants legs, trimming with reflective tape, and installing snaps, but haven’t gotten around to it. I don’t like Velcro as a fastener–you run the risk of snagging nice fabrics–so I’d rather see something with rustproof snaps.

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